ClementineLdn

Hi everyone,

I may have the opportunity to visit Mexico City this March for around 10 days and have a few questions. I've never been to Mexico before and so I'm starting to do a lot of research and I would love any input from posters here.

1) Safety - this is a top concern as a lone female traveller (31 years old). I'd be walking around the city, taking public transport alone, etc. I know it's largely subjective, but would I have any particular worries in this regard? I'm a pretty experienced traveller, but my experience in Latin America has been limited to Argentina and Chile. I'm a white (but olive skinned and dark haired) European and am fluent in Spanish.

2) Zika - As someone with underlying health issues, I'd prefer to avoid areas with Zika if at all possible. From what I understand, Mexico City is far enough above sea level that there should not be any Aedes aegypti mosquites and hence no Zika risk. Am I right in thinking this?

3) Getting around - I wouldn't have a car, so would be relying on public transport. I have a friend in Hidalgo province I'd love to visit, and would like to see other places within a few hours' drive of the city. Are the buses efficient/reliable/safe?

Would really appreciate any tips. Happy new year everyone!

baldone

1. Safety should not be any different than your experience in SA, though I've only been to Chile, and can only speak of Santiago, and would say the 2 compare favorably, with Santiago's metro maybe a bit cleaner but just as safe. If you stay in Roma, you'd find an active nightlife for people about your age, but not the hard core club scene. Roma has some of the city's better 'hip' restaurant scene with tree lined streets and art-deco architecture. Very safe for walking. Plus, Uber is another good option.
2. Correct, zika is not an issue at CDMX's 7,000 ft. plus altitude.
3. Hidalgo state is one of, if not the, safest in the country. That said, there have been cases of robberies on buses in Mexico state, but primarily on personnel transport buses commuting workers to Mexico City, and not the 1st class buses. Overall, 1st class buses are indeed safe, and comfortable, have bathrooms and wifi, A/C and bad movies. Some of Mexico's most interesting cities and sights are easily visited by bus from Mexico City.

Christina

I've been to Mexico City alone as a woman, as for safety, you should be fine if you stay in a good area and dont' wander around at night, especially to some types of bars, etc. I even took the metro several times (even though it was very crowded), it's no problem, but I was only in the center and during the daytime. At nioght, I went to restaurants within a few blocks of my B&B, which was a safe area.

I stayed in Condesa, it's very nice.

I think Mexico City even has some metro cars reserved for women and children, although I never sought those out. You can check into that if it makes you feel better. The most important thing is the place you choose to stay.

I've taken long-distance buses in Mexico, they are very common and good (they don't have a good rail system). THey can vary in price and level of service. The first class buses are very nice and still very cheap. You could take a bus to Puebla easy enough. I haven't been by bus anywhere else within a few hours of Mexico city, I have much farther away (Oaxaca and Guanajuato). I'm sure buses go to Hildalgo. Just go on a first class or luxury one.

I don't know where you plan to go in Hidalgo, but Omnibus goes from the DF to Pachuca, for example. https://odm.com.mx/

Use www.rome2rio.com to find possible bus companies for the route you want, then try to find their website.

ClementineLdn

Thanks for replying! I went ahead and booked flights...can't believe I'm actually going to Mexico! I'll start some proper research soon but any personal recommendations from anyone would be great.

I found a place to stay which looks nice, but it's not in Condesa or Roma, it's near the Plaza Zocalo. Is this a safe area? It looks to be fairly close to Condesa/Roma on the map, but maps can be deceptive (I know it's a huge city!)

My friend lives in (well, near) Pachuca and is happy to come into Mexico City to meet me, but perhaps it would be better for me to go there? I'd love to see a little more than the city itself and from the link kindly provided it looks easy to get to. Also interested in Puebla and Teotihuacan. Looks like there could be a lot of great day trips around Mexico D.F. When I was in Argentina I used tour companies for these kind of trips (pick up in minibus). Are these available easily in DF too?

Stewbear

I used a driver recommended by my hotel (The Majestic) which overlooks the Zocalo.
Found this a great option as most days he could get other fares while we were in various museums. We did have him the whole day going to Teotihuacan. I would Not recommend any tours as most are "canned" with much of your time wasted IMO with tourist traps etc,
Also buses are a good option for going to Teotihuacan as they leave often from the North station.

baldone

The zocalo area is generally safe, although it can be pretty quiet (as in not much going on) at night (nor early in the morning), which may make certain parts of centro 'feel' a little dodgy. We walked from Roma to centro in about 50 minutes. But you're right in that it looks closer on a map than it turns out to be. And I wouldn't recommend it at night. Walking to/from centro at night, that is. Choosing between centro & Roma/Condesa is a challenge. Centro is where the history is, while Roma is where you'll arguably find the best overall restaurant/cafe/bar scene in city. You really should experience both areas, either by staying in centro and then change to Roma, or stay in Roma, visit centro by day, then spend evenings in Roma. A popular hotel in Roma is the Stanza. Its not a colonial style hotel, but perfectly located on Alvarado Obregon, the avenue with most restaurants, and only about $50 US.
If it were me, I'd maybe try and visit the area around Pachuca. Google Real del Monte, Mineral del Chico, Huasca de Ocampo, & Prismas Basalticos for an idea of what's near Pachuca. Or Tolantongo. Although your friend should know these places.
Puebla is certainly worth visiting, but not a huge contrast from what you'll see in CDMX, at least compared to the 'Pueblos Magicos' I already mentioned. IMO. But if you do, the Hotel Colonial is a good value and perfectly located.
I don't generally do tours, since much of what's of interest is accessible via public transportation, and generally cities of interest all have a good tourist offices with maps showing highlights allowing you to self-tour.

ClementineLdn

Hi everyone,

I'm heading to Mexico City in a month so my preparations are now underway. I have made a few accommodation bookings - as I said, initially I booked a private room in a hostel near Plaza Zocalo, but I'm now wondering if I should just spend the whole time staying in Roma/Condesa. I did book the Stanza for my final 3 nights - thanks baldone! It would stretch my budget a little too far to stay there the whole time and also it might be nice to stay in a hostel for the first few nights as they're more conducive to meeting people. I have seen a few hostels in Roma but without ensuite bathrooms. I guess I could put up with that for the superior location. Maybe I could do the first few nights around Zocolo (which is a handy location for sightseeing) and then move to Roma for the rest of the trip.

Some things that definitely interest me are the Anthropology museum and Frida Kahlo's house in Coyacan. I’m not usually into wrestling but I think Lucha Libre could be a fun thing to watch to get an insight into the culture. Teotihuacan is a must...seems easy enough to get there by bus from the Terminal Autobuses del Norte. I would love any personal recommendations regarding sights or museums. I’m a 31-year-old solo female traveller and am very interested in learning more about the history of Mexico and getting to know the culture. I’m also a HUGE foodie, so recommendations regarding food are extremely welcome.

It would also be great if anyone had a guidebook to recommend. I’ve downloaded the Lonely Planet Guide to Mexico for my Kindle, but any other suggestions would be great.

kja

Try the Moon Guide and the Rough Guide.

Enjoy!

baldone

This is kind of a fun place on the edge of Roma, about 10-12 blocks from Stanza. http://mercadoroma.com/
While certainly not Mexican, Porco Rosso offers good bbq with craft beers on tap in a relaxed atmosphere; shared picnic tables good for meeting other people. http://www.porcorossobbq.com/index.html
Most guidebooks will likely mention centro's Casa De Los Azulejos, which house a Sanborn's, (chain dept store/restaurant owned by Carlos Slim), which while probably not a classic foodie's destination, is a must see even if just for coffee and dessert. But the food is actually pretty good.
https://hungryshutterbug.wordpress.c...s-mexico-city/

ClementineLdn

Thanks for the tips! I have another quick question...what should I take clothes-wise? From my Googling, the temp seems to be around 24 C in late March, is that accurate? If so, then I should be OK in light floaty trousers, long sleeved top and denim jacket type outfits? What about open toed shoes? I have some super comfy flip flop type sandals (not beach flip flops, they have thick material on the top). Would they be a bad idea due to crowded/dirty streets or do people wear those there?

shelleyk

I just returned from 10 days in Mexico City and Puebla. I liked Mexico so much that I plan to return next year to different areas for 3 or 4 weeks. If you plan to go to the Frida Khalo house, book the tickets online before you go. If we hadn't, we would have had a 2-3 hour wait to get in.

baldone

The downside to opened-toed shoes is not so much the dirt (although there's plenty of that), but rather the uneven sidewalks, open/broken utility registros, or any number of hazards sticking up out of the sidewalk that shouldn't. My wife once stubbed her toe on the edge of a sheet of steel that didn't quite cover an underground electrical junction box. Ouch. The attire you describe should be fine. CDMX is at 7,000+, so nights and early mornings can be cool, if not downright chilly at times, and daytime sun can be intense. So some sort of layering is appropriate.
It sounds like you've got your lodging set, but here are 2 other budgety options we've stayed at; 1 in Condesa, the other in centro, with the latter if you'd rather opt for a hotel with private bath.
http://www.hotelroosevelt.com.mx/english/
http://www.hotelprincipal.com/
This is another centro budget hotel that we've not stayed in but it's well located.
http://www.hotel-isabel.com.mx/
Roosevelt doesn't have (IMO) as good of a location as the Stanza, and can be a bit noisy. But for under $40 it's a good value.
None of those may appeal to you, but maybe to someone else?

Christina

I'm sure standard weather websites have accurate historical data, of course. There are monthly averages on various websites. HEre is one
http://www.holiday-weather.com/mexico_city/averages/

24C is not the average temp, it's the average high temp in the afternoon, if you meant that. That is not that hot, your clothing taste is different ahn mine, I would not typically wear floaty trousers ever (except dressy ones at night), but definitely not in the daytime for touring around a big dirty city or ruins when it is only 24C. I also would never wear flip flops in that situation, those are for the beach for me, not big cities when it isn't that hot. I might wear some Skecher good walking sneaks, something like that. I could see a good pair of heavier duty walking sandals, with a strap around the ankle, perhaps, but flip flops, no. Those would hurt my feet, but if that's what you like to wear in big dirty cities in mild weather, sure, there is nothing wrong with it.

suze

I would take the sandals, for evenings, close to 'home', going out to a casual cafe... but have sturdier shoes or sneakers or something for walking and touring around.

ClementineLdn

Christina, I'm from the UK, where people strip off and climb into fountains when it's 24C! In all seriousness, I'm finding it hard to pack for this trip. What DO you wear in Mexico City? I'll be bringing jeans, both thick ones and light skinny ones, but other than that, I'm at a loss. I wear a lot of long skirts at home, but it'll (I imagine) be too hot to wear tights and boots with them, and it won't be appropriate to wear strappy sandals. The wide leg light trousers are a good compromise because they are super comfortable and I can wear them with my Converse or New Balance shoes, but yeah, they might be too light for the weather at that time of year.

As I said, I don't mean beach flip flops, I mean sandals with a thick strap that goes between my toes. They have a cushioned sole and good grips on the bottom. I'm still hesitant to wear them in Mexico DF because of the issues baldone mentioned - uneven sidewalks, stuff sticking out, etc.

baldone

You'll see the floaty pants on sale here in San Miguel, where many chilangas come to shop. But a typical chilanga will wear skinny jeans, boots, and maybe a baggy sweater, denim or leather jacket with a shawl or scarf. Mallas or leggings are popular, too, although many women probably shouldn't be wearing them. If we're somewhere where we'll be walking quite a bit, my wife prefers cropped pants, Chuck Taylor low tops, a cotton blouse or tee and a hoodie as she can take off the hoodie as it warms up and tie it around her waist.

cybor

It really depends on whether or not you mind looking like a tourist.
Mexicans and latinos women generally are quite fashionable and don't wear cropped pants, earth sandals, etc. That and you are in a cosmopolitan city. Dress like you would in any other fashionable city if you don't want to stand out.
You'll see lots of designer jeans and nice tops, low rider or high top sneaks and nice looking/comfy wedge sandals/shoes.
Also, there are some great stores to buy well made and interesting clothing if that's an option for you. Keep in mind that many Mx women are small and slender unless you're getting something cutom made.

suze

You can wear everything you described (well I'm not sure I'd ever travel with "heavy jeans"). Your own travel wardrobe is fine. No one is going to mistake you for a Mexico City native lady anyway. That's OK.

cybor

I've been mistook for a Mexican on numerous occasions so I'm not sure what one is supposed to look like. In any event, if you want to fit in wear city and hip clothing. Wear other things if you don't care. Be comfortable and be yourself.
I often wear Jambu wedge sandals at night as they're sturdier than strappy sandals and high tops during the day.
I also love layering with thin layers in black, cool tee shirts, straight leg jeans and leggings with tunics. I also wear skorts over leggings. I can always take the leggings off if I get too hot. Keep in mind that many Mxs do love to dress up in the evening.
City chic.